From the Liveblog of
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Ex-White House teleprompter operator ordered to pay $172,000 for bets on Trump speeches
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The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission orders former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez to pay $172,539 for using advance access to US President Donald Trump’s speeches to make illegal trades on a prediction-market platform.
Perez must repay $107,539.02 in profits and pay a $65,000 civil penalty under a settlement with the CFTC. He also agrees to a three-year trading ban and to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
The CFTC says Perez traded presidential “mention market” contracts on Kalshi between December 2025 and February 2026 while working at the White House. The contracts are event contracts that pay out based on whether a president uses specific words or phrases in speeches.
Perez could not immediately be reached for comment. He was put on unpaid leave and is no longer working for the federal government.
The Times of Israel Community.